Not The Marrying Kind
by xMarchesax
Summary: Prompt #128: What happens when a man bumps into his former girlfriend while he shops for baby toys with his pregnant wife? The man once told his ex-gf "I'm not the marrying kind." catXbeck


_Prompt #128: What happens when a man bumps into his former girlfriend while he shops for baby toys with his pregnant wife? The man once told his ex-gf "I'm not the marrying kind."_

February 19th, 2018

Los Angeles, CA

Beckett Oliver's Apartment.

"What. Did. You. Say?" angrily asked a pale brunette with blue highlights. The man she was talking to unconsciously stepped back. He had fluffy brown hair and was dressed like an 80's movie character."I said, I think we should break up. Jade, it's just not the same as when we were in high school.

You deserve to someday walk down the aisle in a white dress. I'm not the marrying kind." the young man explained. The brunette, Jade, still looked mad, but her eyes softened a little.

"Fine. If that's what you want, then that's what I want." Jade's voice broke a little.

"Bye, Beck"

"Bye, Jade"

They gave each other one last hug before Jade left Beck's apartment, never to return again. Little did they know they'd be seeing each other again, on that same day, 4 years later...

February 19th, 2022

Los Angeles, CA

Babies R Us

"Hmm...how about Dogina?" teased a pregnant, dark brown haired women. She looked as if she was due at any moment.

"No, Cat, no! I've already told you, no animal names!" jokingly sighed a fluffy haired man. He looked at the red-head, Cat, lovingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat shrieked. The fluffy haired man looked down in embarrassment.

"Cat, I love you. But, _please_, keep your voice down!" Cat giggled.

"Kay, 'kay, Beck" she said. She looked at the blushing man in adoration. He looked up at her and grinned, then turned to a shelf full of baby rattles.

"Do you think she'll need one?" Beck asked Cat.

"Well, technically, she doesn't need any of this. But in my _personal opinion_, I think she'll want one. I also think it'll annoy you very much so I say we buy it." She took 2 pink and green rattles off the shelf and loaded them into the half-full cart; filled with things ranging from cute onesies that said "Daddy's Girl" and "Kitty Cat" to rainbow colored binkies to random toys like a red cat stuffed animal and a musical monkey.

Beck stared at Cat in amusement. Who'd have ever thought that cool Beckett Oliver and ditsy Caterina Valentine would be together? Married? He can pinpoint the first time her ever saw her as more than a friend. It was Valentine's Day, 2019. She was in the outdoor plaza of some mall, giving away red velvet cupcakes with a rose and a message attached to the rose. She had made her own stand; it said: Valentine's Valentines. It was easy to know it was her; Cat Valentine wasn't someone you'd easily forget. Even if it had been 5 years since you last saw her, and even if her hair was curly and and wasn't red velvet cupcake red anymore. She had brown hair now. It was her natural hair color. Beck remembered commenting in his mind, "Cat looks nice...and mature. Yet still somehow the same".

He had walked up to Cat and said, "One cupcake please. No lovey-dovey messages. It's for my mom."

"Kay, kay, sir" she said. He had his sunglasses on and his hair was shorter, so she hadn't recognized.

"Cool" he said, pushing his sunglasses up to his head. When she gave him his cupcake and saw his face, she gasped and dropped the cupcake.

"BECK!" she'd screamed, annoying the people walking.

"Cat!" he had screamed back in amusement. She hugged him, like she used to do millions of times before. But this time, when Beck hugged back, he felt something different. Though he couldn't put his finger on it then, he could now. He was attracted to Cat Valentine.

"Hello? Earth to Beckett?" said the voice of his very lovely, _very_ pregnant wife.

"Yeah, so 2 annoying clacking thingies. Got it."

They continued like this the duration of the trip. Teasing, buying useless things that would spoil their baby rotten. When they got to the registers, though, something changed.

"Hey, is that...is that Jade?" Cat asked, pointing her short pink nails in the way of Aisle 4. Sure enough, there was Jadelyn West. Cat's old best friend. And Beck's ex-girlfriend.

"Oh my god! It is! Let's go say hi!" squealed Cat dragging the cart towards Jade, despite her husband's protests. Sighing, Beck followed her.

Jade West was having a fairly normal day at work. When she came in a minute late, her boss yet again yelled at her and threatened to fire her. At 1:00 when she took her lunch break, she went to Subway and flirted with the cute sub maker. Later in the afternoon, a small child threw a drool-ridden ball in her face. But that was all about to change.

"Oh my god! Jade! 'Member me! I'm _CAT_!" yelled a short brunette, bouncing _way_ too close in front of Jade.

"Cat...CAT! Oh my god!" Recognition flashed in Jade's eyes. Jade wasn't the hugging type, but when Cat squeezed her tight, she couldn't help but squeeze back.

"Cat!" She noticed her old friend's bulging belly. "You're...pregnant! Who's the daddy?" she asked, excited. While Cat was good with kids, it was hard to imagine her a mother.

"I am...hi." said an all too familiar voice.

Cat moved so Jade could see the source of the voice.

"Beck! He's my husband! Neat-o, right?" Jade didn't really know how to respond. Cat and...Beck? Married? About to become parents together? It was all too much to take in.

"Hey, Jade." Beck knew this was becoming _really_ awkward. "Um...so...can you ring us up?" That sounded rude, he knew. But he wanted to leave _right this instant_. Beck knew he had hurt Jade. A long time ago, of course; but Jade held grudges for a long time.

"Oh! Oh, yeah of course. That's my job, right?" She was trying to act casual, and failing horribly.

"So...how's life been" questioned Jade, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion as why a baby would need musical monkey.

"Oh my god! It's been _so_ good, Beck works in this theatre place that's so totally awesome and I work at random children's shows as a singer! It's _so _fun! How's _your_ life been?" she was practically leaping with excitement.

"Well...I'm single, I work at a place where my boss regularly threatens to fight with me and I'm part of Alcoholics Anonymous." All of that was true. She had taken up drinking when Beck broke up with her. She had gotten over him of course, but by the time she had, the drinking had become a problem.

"13 months sober, though." She managed a weak smile.

"Oh..." Even Cat now realized things had gotten _very very_ awkward. They stopped talking now and the only noise was screaming kids and the _beeps_ of the ringing up items.

"So...girl or boy?"

"Girl." answered Beck.

"Name?"

"We haven't decided yet. She" she poked his wife, "wants to name her, and I quote, 'Dogina'."

"Oh my _god_ Beck! I was totally _joking_!" Cat was starting to get emotional.

"Hey, hey. Baby, I was joking too. Don't get all cry-y here." said Beck in an attempt to sooth his wfie.

"Why? Because we're in a public place!"

"No, no, no. Because I love you and I hate to see you mad or sad." He pushed her face up so her eyes were gazing up at him. Brown eyes stared at brown.  
>"Ok...I can never stay mad at you. But you have to give me a kiss first." Cat giggled as Beck put his lips lightly on her.<p>

Even thought the gesture was light, Jade still felt as if she was intruding on something private. She cleared her throat and looked away.

"Ok...so that's all." Beck and Cat snapped out of their lovey-dovey worlds.

"Thanks." said Beck, ready to get out of here.

"Wait! Here, take our phone number" Cat wrote their cells and house numbers on a piece of scrap paper. "Call us anytime! I want to catch up better." Beck resisted the urge to roll his eyes; that's his wife, always polite and sweet. And no matter how much he wanted to get the hell out of Babies-R-Us, he couldn't be mad at Cat for wanting to catch up with an old friend (even if that friend was his ex.)

"Oh...'kay." said Jade. She hadn't been treated this nice in a long time and she wasn't used to it.

February 19th, 2026

Los Angeles, CA

A Cute House In The Suburbs

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jade. Happy birthday to you! _And many MO-OO-OO-RE!_"

A tan, brunette girl was having her 4th birthday today. She was dressed like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Someone commented on how, "By the end of the day, that dress will be ruined with mud and grass stains."

"Oh my god! I just can't believe she's _4_ already!" exclaimed a young women with blue highlights.

"I know! It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms." said a tan man.

"You were." his wife told him.

"Yeah, but I meant holding her as a tiny, 6 pound baby."

A look of worry crossed the women with blue highlights face. "She's still so tiny now! I'm worried she's not getting enough vitamins!" The man laughed.

"Chill, Jade, chill! She's just a late sprouter. Dr. Manslew says she's perfectly healthy.

"You're trusting a man named, Manslew?" screeched Jade jokingly.

Just as the man was about to answer, he felt a light tugging on his jeans.

"Daddy, daddy! Are we gonna cut the cake now?" asked the birthday girl herself impatiently.

"Ok! Go with Auntie Jade. Mommy and I will be here in a minute." answered her father. The little girl smiled, gently pulling on her "Aunt" to come with her. Jade laughed and carried the other Jade in her arms, cradling her like a baby.

"Oh my god, Cat. She's 4." said the man in amazement.

"Yes, Beck. And soon she'll be wearing crop tops and going on dates." teased Cat. A bit of anger flashed in Beck's face.

"No way. She'll wear sweaters everyday and'll live like a nun." Beck said it seriously, but his wife knew he was kidding.

"Ok. But for now, let's just go and see her blow some candles out." Cat replied, tugging at her husband's sleeve, trying to get him to move.

"I'll be there in a sec, 'kay. Try to hold Jade down. _Both_ of them." Cat nodded and ran inside her house, heading to the dining room where a bunch of kids and adults were crammed around a round table with a large cake and cupcake stand.

Beck stared at the sun which was going to set any minute. If anyone told him he'd be 32, married to Cat Valentine with a child named Jade, he'd have either laughed in their face or tell them to shut his face before his girlfriend heard.

Yet here he was, all those things happening. How much life could change. Letting an amused smile grace his face, he walked inside his house, whistling Happy Birthday as he walked. The people in the dining room cheered as he walked inside.

"Finally! I'm hungry!" commented Jade, the older one. Everyone cheered when she said that too.

Even though this life wasn't what he expected, he'd never trade it. Not in a trillion years.


End file.
